Fuel-supply apparatus.



No. 674,64l. Patented May 2|, l90l.

F. E. WHITTEMORE.

FUEL SUPPLY APPARATUS.

(Application filed May 18, 1900.)

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No. 674,64I. Patented May 2|; [90L F. E; WHITTEMORE.

FUEL SUPPLY APPARATUS.

(Applicatiomflled May is, 1900.1

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(No llodel.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK E. WIIITTEMORE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF SIX-SEVENTHS TO WM. S. WALKER, OF SAME PLACE, AND JOHN H. HULTS, OF BELLEVUE, PENNSYLVANIA.

FUEL-SUPPLY APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,641, dated May 21, 1901.

Application filed May 18, 1900.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E.WHITTEMORE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuel-Supply Apparatus, of which the.following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, of which Figure 1 is a view in elevation, illustrating the application of my improved fuel-supply apparatus to a furnace. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view illustrating the use of branch pipes for a plurality of furnaces. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a mixing device. Fig.5 is a cross-sectional view through the mixer indicated by the line V V of Fig. 4. Fig. 6is a partial longitudinal sectional view indicated by the lineVI VI of Fig. I. Fig. 7 is across-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, indicated by the line VII VII of Fig 1. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating a modified construction of feeding mechanism and also additional agitating mechanism. Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view indicated by line IX IX of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the storage-hopper and conveyor from the receiving-hopper leading to the blower, as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 11 is a further enlarged sectional detail view showing the delivery end of the conductor and conveyingchain. Fig. 12 is a plan View of Fig. 11.

My invention relates to the art of combustion of pulverized fuel, and relates particularly to the mechanism for receiving, conveying, and delivering the fuel to the point of combustion,together with other details of construction, as shall be more fully hereinafter set forth.-

Referring now to the drawings, 2 represents a storage-hopper, which may be of any approved construction or form and adapted to receive and hold a quantity of pulverized fuel-as, for instance,coal-dust,crushed coke, sawdust, 850. Leading outwardly from this hopper isa conveying mechanism which in the construction shown in the'drawings consists of an endless belt or chain 3, running Serial No. 17,170. (No model.)

around the wheels 4 at each end, one of which wheels is placed in the base of the hopper 2, the other of which is located at a point where it is desired to deliver the pulverized fuel, and this conveyer 3 is preferably surrounded for the full length of its outgoing travel by a closed conduit 5, which may be circular or square in cross-section and of sheet-iron, gas+ pipe, or any other suitable material of limited cross-area to control the feed of the fuel to the blower. The use of such a closed conduit is of advantage in protecting the fuel from weather, foreign substances, or from being blown away by drafts or currents of air. It is also useful inpreventing any excess amount of fuel from passing through,as when the dust is damp and lumpy, and it will be understood that the dimensions of the conduit may be proportioned to the amount desired or to other conditions of installation or adaptations by the designing engineer within a wide variation as to size, shape, or other details of construction. The outer wheel 4 is located above the supply-pipe 6, leading to a manner to permit free ingress of the air. As

shown in Fig. 7, the pipe 6 leads directlyinto the center of the blower, from which leads a delivery-pipe 8 to the furnace-chamber 9, and in its passage through the blower the pulvers ized fuel is thoroughly disin t'egrated,cohesion is destroyed by the commingling action, and the air is evenly charged with the fuel in suspension. The conveyer and blower 7 are driven at speeds adapted to the end in view by suitable gearing, as indicated, and as such gearing does not form any part of the present invention it will not be further specifically described. In Fig. 3 the delivery-pipe 8 is branched, as shown, so as to supply two or more furnace-chambers, and these branch pipes 8 may be supplied with valves or gates 10, so as to cut off one or more of the chambers when desired.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 I have shown a mixingchamber 11 made oval in form,to each reduced end of which is connected the supply-pipe 6 of separate blowers 7, the mixer havinga common outlet-pipe 12, which may be introduced directly to the furnace either in a single form or branched, as in Fig. 3. In this construction the incoming pulverized fuel, with the air from the blowers, is thoroughly mixed and commingled before passing outwardly to the furnace-chamber, and the mixer furthermore acts as a reservoir adapted to contain at all times a surplus of fuel under ressure, so that any variation in the supply from the hopper 2 will not materially affect the steady flow to the furnace-chamber. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the conveyer 3, by reason of various guiding-wheels 13, located at different positions and heights within the hopper 2, is caused to traverse the hopper in various directions throughout its height, so as to agitate and dislodge the mass of pulverized fuel, thus insuring its delivery to the conveyer at the point where it passes outwardly from the hopper. In addition to the main conveyer belt or chain 3 I employ a supplementary agitating chain or belt 14, adapted to pass around guidingwheels 15, arranged in the interior of the hopper, so as to cause the agitator 14, which is continuous, to traverse a serpentine path throughout the contents, and it will be seen that such agitation, in combination with the main conveyer, will thoroughly disturb the fuel at all points, so as to prevent its lodging or arching within the hopper. The driving means for such mechanism may also be of any convenient or suitable arrangement.

While I have found good results with an ordinary leather belt .provided with abutments placed at intervals upon itssurface, I prefer to use for the conveyer a sprocketchain the open links of which will become charged with the pulverized fuel at the base of the hopper and will carry it throughout the conveyer 5 to the point of discharge, when it will either-fall by gravity, assisted by the current of air, or any adhering particles will be forced outwardly and downwardly from the links by the action of the toothed sprocketwheel. The agitator 14 will also give good results when composed of a sprocket-chain.

In operation the current of air charged with the fuel may be delivered either directly to the furnace-chamber or passed through the mixer and a supply of fuel and air, either or both, may be limited and controlled by any suitable valve or gate mechanism, and such construction as Well as various other changes and modifications are within the province of the skilled mechanic and are to be understood as being included within the scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In mechanism for delivering pulverized fuel to a furnace, the combination of a storage-hopper, a conduit of limited cross-area leading therefrom to an impelling device adapted to deliver the fuel to the furnacechamber and to limit the amount passing through the conduit, and a traveling conveyer located in the conduit adapted to transfer the fuel from the hopper to the impelling device with means for positively discharging the fuel into the air-entrance opening of the impelling device, substantially as set forth.

2. In mechanism for delivering pulverized fuel to a furnace, the combination of a storage-hopper, a conduit of limited cross-area leading therefrom to an impelling device adapted to deliver the fuelto the furnacechamber and to limit the amount passing through the conduit, a traveling conveyer located in the conduit passing around toothedwheels mounted in the hopper and at the airentranee opening of the impelling device re spectively, whereby the teeth of the wheel effectively discharge the fuel from the conveyer, the conveyer being adapted to transfer the fuel from the hopper to the impelling device, substantially as set forth.

3. In mechanism for delivering pulverized fuel to a furnace, the combination of a storage-hopper, a conduit of limited cross-area leading therefrom to an impelling device adapted to deliver the fuel to the furnacechamber and to limit the amount passing through the conduit, a traveling conveyerlocated in the conduit passing around a wheel mounted in the hopper and around a supporting and discharging wheel located at the airentrance opening of the impelling device respectively, and means for actuating the conveyer, substantially as set forth.

4. In mechanism for delivering pulverized fuel to a furnace, the combination of a storagehopper, a conduit of limited cross-area leading therefrom to an impelling device adapted to deliver the fuel to the furnace-chamber and to limit the amount passing through the conduit, a sprocket-wheel located in the base of the conveyer, a sprocket wheel located above the opening into the impelling device, a sprocket-chain located in the conduit passing over the wheels adapted to engage a portion of the fuel in the interstices of the-chain and to transfer it through the, conduit to the impelling device and to positively discharge it thereinto by the action of the sprocketwheel above the opening, into the impelling device, substantially as set forth.

5. In mechanism for delivering pulverized fuel to afurnace, the combination of astoragehopper, a conduit leading therefrom to an impelling device adapted to deliver the fuel to the furnace-chamber, a traveling endless conveyer passing through the conduit, around a wheel located at the air-entrance of the impelling device, around a wheel at the base of the hopper, and around upper guiding-wheels therein whereby the conveyer is caused to traverse the interior so as to agitate and dis turb the fuel within the hopper, substantially as set forth.

6. In mechanism for delivering pulverized fuel to a furnace, the combination of a storagehopper, a conduit leading therefrom to an impolling device adapted to deliver the fuel to the furnace-chamber, a traveling conveyer located in the conduit passing around Wheels mounted in the hopper and at the air-entrance opening of the impelling device respectively, and separate endless traveling agitating devices located within the hopper, substantially 8. In mechanism for delivering pulverized fuel to a furnace, the combination of a storagehopper, a conduit of limited cross-area Whereby to limit the amount of fuel passing therethrough leading therefrom to an impelling device, a traveling conveyer located in the conduit passing around wheels mounted in the hopper and at the air-entrance opening of the impelling device respectively, a mixing-chamber adapted to receive the fuel and air from the impelling device, and a conduit leading therefrom to the furnace, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK E. WHITTEMORE.

Witnesses:

PETER J. EDWARDS, O. M. CLARKE. 

